Heat Wave
by MummyRussia
Summary: When a heat wave plays havoc with the inmates and an impending storm threatens Litchfield, Red and Nicky must fight to keep each other safe.
1. Chapter 1- Heat

**Heat Wave**

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Orange is the New Black, apart from my absolute love for it.

Summary: When a heat wave plays havoc with the inmates and an impending storm threatens Litchfield, Red and Nicky must fight to keep each other safe .

**Chapter one- Heat **

On A summer's day, if you stared long enough, and blurred your eyes just enough, the tall sinewy fences faded into non-existence. If you continued to stare a little longer, the grass and skies merged together until there was nothing but open air before you, endless plains of lustrous green and blue and white for you to wonder.

You blink- and the fences snap back.

The air around you squeezes your lungs until you're just at the edge of breathlessness, until the definite definition of restriction reads clearly through your blood. You are once more confined.

That's why so many of the women stare off into the distance, momentarily stopping on their way to the hall or work duty, distracted by the distant memory of freedom for just a second.

"It's too fucking hot for this." Piper declared angrily, accentuating the T harshly as she let her head flop forward, looking away from the fence, and seemingly sinking into her seat. Her stale sandwich left abandoned on the brown paper bag, Nicky watched as a lone fly made several circles around them before landing silently on top of the unappealing lunch.

"There's a fly on your bread." She muttered hoarsely, lazily bringing her eyes up to look at Chapman who met her gaze with a look of complete inexorable distain.

"We can't work under these conditions; we're going to get heat stroke. And we've got no sunscreen! I'm telling Luschek the pipes will have to wait." Chapman babbled erratically, swiping continuously at the persistent fly.

"They're not pipes, Chapman." Nicky corrected dully, cutting Piper off in a mid rant about humane treatment of incarcerated inmates and how detrimental working through long periods of sun exposure is to your skin.

"Whatever they are, I don't care. We're cooking out here Nick." Piper stated, scrunching her nose up at Nicky.

Nicky quirked her eyebrow languidly before turning her attention back to the fly. She felt like she was dying, her thick head of hair harbouring the most of the sun's rays. She had tied it up to stop it sticking to her neck, but all that did was expose her neck to the horrendous heat as well. If she closed her eyes she could almost hear the infinitesimal sound of her own skin sizzling away.

"Are you alright Nicky?" Piper asked seemingly seeing Nicky properly for the first time, now her attention was not aimed solely on her freedom game with the fence. Nicky groaned into her shoulder before burying her head further beneath her arms in search of shelter from the rays burning slowly into her skull. Piper took that as a sign to stop talking; turning her full attention back to the persistent fly fast placing itself on Piper's hit list.

The ladies of Litchfield had had to suffer through almost two unbroken weeks of roaring temperatures. The whole county had suffered water shortages, a wave of old people and pregnant women falling ill from sunstroke, several small surrounding forest fires had blazed ruthlessly and still the sun continued to shine. Still the temperatures crept higher. And whilst the Governess, the smug stingy bitch, got to cool off in her office with her own air conditioning and a reasonable water supply, the inmates of Litchfield had to carry on as though it was just another ordinary day. They were still being worked and run ragged; except there was no regular supply of water to keep them properly hydrated, no relief during the stifling night hours locked up. It was inhumane.

But then again, that was nothing of surprise in their world. Piper was near to snapping. She couldn't take it much longer. And by the looks of her dear friend opposite her, neither could she.

Nicky still had her arms slung over her head, thick ringlets sticking out wildly. She needed that air conditioning far more than her, Piper thought, briefly looking in the direction of the Governess walking this way, under a fucking parasol of all things!

From his position slouched against the brick wall in the small sliver of shade, Luschek suddenly caught eye of the 'boss' approaching. With a sympathetic groan he half heartedly ordered the two back to work.

"Ladies, work, back to it, please." Luschek drawled his shirt was inappropriately low buttoned. He looked like a mutation between human and jellyfish- his skin completely coated in a thin layer of sweat, giving him a shiny, slippery wet look. As if to accentuate the likeness, he languidly brought his 'Starbucks' up to his lips, took a healthy slug, and burped in satisfaction, his small rounded tummy vibrating like the top of a jellyfish bobbing in the current.

Both girls looked at each other with the same knowing expression painting their pale features, obviously having had the same gross comparison cross their mind.

"Luschek! Why aren't those two working? Why aren't you working? Where are the rest of the women?" Figueroa demanded in quick succession, making Luschek cringe at the annoying pitch of her questions.

"Governess Figueroa..." He replied in a flat tone "As I am sure you're aware, it's been a bit hot lately. The women are dehydrated. They're over heated. They're dropping like flies and now I only have a grand number of two to help me get this junk yard of a prison sorted for the annual safety review coming in three days that you failed to mention to me until now. They can't work, not unless you want to kill 'em in the process. We can't just keep pushing them, and I can't keep it up either!" Luschek barked in response to the menial questions aim at him. Admittedly by the end of his rant, Luschek was aware how irate he had become but he didn't rightly care at that moment.

Instead, he tugged angrily at his collar, taking another chug of his coffee, only to be disappointed when the cup revealed itself to be empty. Figueroa watched the whole scene with waning attention.

"I don't give a shit; we've all got problems, just get it sorted." She demanded flatly, looking on with barely contained disinterest at Piper and Nicky as she waltzed back to the cool confines of her office.

"Bitch." Luschek snapped, throwing the paper coffee cup aside.

Piper smiled wanly as Luschek grabbed the ladder and silently beckoned them to follow. Side eyeing Nicky, who had sat up during the little kafuffle, Piper noted the complete washout of colour on the younger girl's face. She silently pushed ahead of her and picked up the big awkward bundle of cheaply bartered copper strips, leaving Nicky with just the tools to carry. She caught the smile that briefly lit up Nicky's face.

There was no way they would get the stupid lightning rods on before the safety review. Piper pondered for the rest of the relentless day on how Figueroa would fix the inspection; just as she had rigged all other duties in the shithole Piper called home. And what made the whole thing worse was that whenever the bitch Governess slacked on her side, Nicky or herself seemed to pay the price. She can still recall the scent of frazzled hair after Nicky got electrocuted fixing a light fixing last week.

Turning her attention back to the fence briefly, Piper watched in resignation as an inmate collapsed waiting in line for the cafeteria.

"Red's running late today." Piper remarked casually to no one in particular, though the way Nicky looked longingly at the block, she knew the younger girl had heard and was now worrying about her mother.

"Come on. The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can go see her."

_Chapter two done and ready to go, hope you enjoyed this one. Reviews would be much loved. MummyRussia _


	2. Chapter 2- Hallucinate

Thank you for all the interest so far, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Chapter two- Hallucinate

Back inside the prison, things were just as dire. Just as sniffling and almost unbearable.

In the kitchens, amid the thick smoggy steam spewing from the sweltering stoves, a frazzled and slightly psychotic looking red head scrutinised beneath heavily lidded eyes, the state of Tuesday's dinner.

It was abysmal. Everything that could possibly go wrong- had gone wrong. The poor excuse for a salad had wilted in the heat, the meatloaf had long since passed its stage of edibility and the blancmange pudding was ten seconds away from Red calling time of death on the pudding. Not to mention two members of her already waning kitchen staff had fainted on the job.

As the sudden shriek and sounds of a tray clattering to floor reached Red's ears, the Russian sighed and turned around with the air of someone who really, really didn't want to be there.

'Who is it now?' She barked through the smog, her head dizzying her eyes ever so slightly in the still building heat; it wasn't until she had finished yelling did she notice that it was Norma who was out cold on the floor.

'Norma! My friend?' Red gasped, all her scorched senses coming to life as she dived to the floor beside her ailing friend. Beside the unconscious mute, Murphy looked dismayed but certain.

'She's fainted. It's too hot Red.' She said with all the inflection of a bored schoolboy, telling Red something she already knew far too well.

Red stared sardonically at Murphy for all of a second before her face fell into an equally dismayed expression. She began to gently tug at Norma's high collar in the hope to offer aid as she wracked through her tired mind for a solution. Within a second she had come to a conclusion, standing up a tad slower than she was going down, the Russian marched straight-backed towards the on duty officer.

Mendez.

Fucking Mendez.

Inwardly gathering all her hard Russian strength, Red pursed her lips and glared at Mendez face on.

'It is far too hot for my girls in there, they are dropping like dominoes. We can't carry on unless...' However before Red was even allowed to finish her carefully directed complaint, Mendez lazily brought his index finger up and pressed it against a very indignant Russian's lips.

'Listen, Mama Russia, I already know it's too hot. I already know inmates are falling faster than a prostitutes panties _and_ I already know something should be done.' He drawled mockingly, his face pulled firmly into a practised wide eyed, derisive, obnoxious smirk- finger still firmly in place deliberately smudging Red's perfect lipstick.

'But unless you're going to tell me how to control the weather, what the fuck do you want me to do about it, huh?' With that he dropped his finger, gave one last leer of contempt and walked away, his shirt plastered to his back with sweat, leaving Red silently raging and unable to reply.

A loud clattering broke through her indignant station and back to the present situation. She sighed once more, pursing her lips to blow upwards, revelling momentarily in the coolness the long tendrils of cool air brought her parched face.

'Who now?' She groaned, sloping back into the kitchen, stopping miserably on the way as she caught her reflection in the stainless steel doors, to wipe away her messed makeup.

"What are you doing?!" Red's head snapped round so fast it was sure to hurt later on. It couldn't be; it was impossible. There but a few feet away stood her Husband. Dmitri, bless his soul. He looked just as hot and worn as Red felt, with his shirt sticking to him uncomfortably and his face blotchy and parched.

"What are you doing _lyubov_?" He asked again, except this time is was less snappy. "They're going to be here any moment, we're not ready _lyubov_, there's no time to fix your lipstick." He sounded so panicked, so stressed. It wouldn't do his heart any good, Red thought as she continued to stare like a heavily sedated patient in a mental hospital. She must be going mad. She watched as he turned around and began frantically counting a pile of American dollars, stacking them into separate little bundles, every now and again rubbing his forehead stressfully.

A terrifying crash sounded behind the confused red head, having her yet again spin in surprise, only to freeze in terror as she watched the head of the Russian mafia stroll in through the double swinging doors. Before she could say another word, something shiny was pulled from his left side pocket, and a another loud bang echoed through Red's head. Behind her, Dmitri slumped to the floor, a little O shape painting his lips in mild surprise.

"Dmitri? Dmitri!" Red screamed, squeezing her eyes tightly shut and shaking her head frantically.

"Red! Red! Snap out of it!" Small, sweaty hands were placed either side of her face, much too small to be Dmitri's. Red opened her eyes. She was back in the prison kitchen. Murphy was standing there in front of her with a worried expression etched across her mouse like face.

"M..Murphy? Dmitri, he..." She tailed off, not knowing how to finish her sentence, not knowing how to process all that had just happened. Murphy, seemingly sensing her distress, ushered her into the small little office at the back of the kitchen.

"Take five boss; it'll be alright." She comforted, before scampering back to the kitchen. Red simply sat there, afraid to even blink in fear the hallucination would return. For that was surely what it was; it just had to be; else the Russian had really gone mad. Unbuttoning her chef smock a little, she fanned her face with a bit of paper, blaming the ever climbing temperature for the events that had just shaken her to the core.

"Dmitri, oh my _lyubov."_She muttered to herself, vivid images of her time before prison flashing before her like a sadistic merry-go-round; image after image of the events that led her here. The very last image, of Nicky, screaming in agony beneath the cold shower as Red tried to quiet her back when she first arrived brought the Russian to breaking point.

"Enough!" She barked, banging her hand down hard on the little desk. "There is work to be done." She affirmed, standing once more, swaying slightly, before coming to her senses once more.

And that was how the day carried on, with dehydrated or sun struck women dropping to the ground in piles of sweaty, scorched, snubbed-out masses. Short fuses got the better of some girls, resulting in them lashing out at anything or anyone in their way, leaving a trail of blackened eyes and beaten knuckles all around the prison. Others did not get angry but instead walked the halls or harboured any hint of shade like zombies that craved coolness over flesh.

Thankfully however, despite the heat and despite the appearance of her late husband, Red did manage to successfully serve everyone something of some substance for tea. She dreaded to think what Nicky and the other's who 'dined' off-site faced in their packed lunches- undoubtedly all her freshly prepared sandwiches were nothing more than dried up bread concoctions in sweaty re-used paper bags by now.

In the end, after another three fainted in the kitchen, Mendez had gathered up a sad looking group of women to come and finish meal and had even stolen the Governors fan. It had been hotter than hell in that kitchen, and the aging Russian had very nearly fallen fatal to the same misfortune of the four dozen or so, who had fainted in the heat wave. But she was off duty now and so, as Red hung her slightly soggy chef smock up, she allowed herself a moment of congratulations at getting through the day.

Her legs felt as though they would give in if she stepped too widely and so she shuffled back to the dorm like a Geisha. All the tall windows behind the bars were thankfully open, Red noted as she entered the dorm. Finding her bunk quickly, Red was about to give in to temptation when a better idea crossed her mind.

Swapping her shoes for slippers quickly, Red tiredly shuffled over to Nicky's bunk. Norma was on the right side of the small cubicle, half dozing as Red pretended to knock in mid air.

'Norma? How are you feeling?' She asked trying to hide her disappointment at not finding Nicky there too. Norma sat up slowly, offering a smile to her friend as she watched her get comfy on her daughter's cot. Stretching her legs out before her and her arms up high above her head, Red yawned loudly and long, only then noticing all the other women in the room. Quirking her eyebrow she stood up to get a better view at what they were all looking at. Turning her tired eyes towards the large ominous window she noted with a hint of hopeful trepidation the turmoil of black, tumbling clouds building steadily- and seemingly rolling this way. Was that what the woman were looking at? Quickly glancing over at a dozy looking Norma, Red received her answer as her silent friend smiled and nodded towards the clouds. Being locked up in the kitchens all day, she hadn't noticed the slow change in the weather. The heat certainly hadn't died down. But the blackening clouds came as a pleasant surprise. Red felt the familiar tingle of a smile flit across her mouth as she turned her gaze back to the impending relief a summer storm would bring. She could almost feel the refreshing tempestuous tang of copper and soil on her tongue that made the hairs on your arms stand to attention. The more she imagined the quenching storm, the more she could actually feel the slight tingle in the slowly charging atmosphere. Then, as if by Red's own strength of will, the first barrel-drunk crack of thunder petrified the skies.

'One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi, four Mississippi...' Suzanne counted down the seconds before the burning white bolt sliced towards the ground in a jagged, piercing attack.

'Eight Mississippi!' Suzanne cheered and much to her own astonishment, everyone in the facility whooped their own cries of relieved joy.

However Red, who had only briefly felt the joy build in her stomach for the breeze that caressed her skin teasingly, had spotted a far more curious scene. Up on a particularly rickety looking ladder, which was only held up it seemed by the sheer strength of the burnt out looking blonde at the foot of it, an equally frazzled Nicky tittered worrisomely.

'What on Earth?' Red muttered to herself stepping up closer to the window to get a better view.

"Trouble Red. There's going to be trouble." The voice sounded so familiar to Red, enough so she turned her sight from her daughter way below, and looked around for the source of the voice.

Oh how she wished she hadn't, for as soon as she laid eyes on her, a terrible ache bloomed in her chest. Trisha; dear, dear Trisha. She met Red's eyes briefly before looking back to the furious, feral clouds blackening the night sky.

"One Mississippi, two Mississippi..."

_Next chapter tomorrow! Hope you enjoyed, MummyRussia's off to bed. _


	3. Chapter 3- Strike

Chapter three- Strike

The sun had given way to an eerie purple sky; not quite dark but rather hazy. The heat had metamorphosed into a thick haze draping slowly over all the eye could see, until one couldn't tell where the ground met with the sky. Chapman studied the thick oil painted purples and dark blues building into cloggy masses across the horizon and clicked her tongue impatiently. A storm was coming. Orders from the bitch above had forced the tired three working way beyond clocking off hours. The hours had trudged by slower than one of Sister Ingalls sermons. Like a scene from the Walking Dead, the group of three trudged onwards, worn and ragged in monotonous movement they laboured on. A gust of strong wind suddenly blew through the yard disturbing Piper's grip on the ladder upon which Nicky clung too. Chapman swiftly readjusted her tired grip on the rickety ladder cursing thin air for the millionth time that day. She scrunched her eyes looking up at Nicky, her arm shaking with effort to hold the heavy drill steady.

"Oh man!" Nicky cried out in frustration as she fumbled and failed, trying desperately to get the mounting bracket attached securely on the wall. The last one had given way as they were attaching the rod and it nearly caused Luschek a trip to the infirmary if his skull wasn't so thick! All three suddenly flinched as the distant growl galloped towards them from afar.

"Thunder!" Nicky squeaked in a mixture of excitement and trepidation.

"Ah finally..." Luschek sighed, looking at Piper with a relieved smile stretching his cracked, dry lips; a smile so catching Chapman couldn't help but return it.

"Fucking storm Nichols!" Luschek continued, craning his neck with squinted eyes, his bear paw of a hand stretching up to pat Nicky's ankle in relief.

"Can we go in now then?" Nicky replied hopefully. Luschek's smile faded quickly as he looked briefly to the remaining copper rods lying on the floor. He mentally weighed up the probability of getting a complete bollocking from Figueroa for not finishing the coppering or the moaning he would fairly get from the two girls who had helped him out today. As if to help sway his decision his back muscles gave a little spasm of exhaustion.

"Okay, tell you what, let's finish these few brackets then we'll leave it at that yeah?" He asked the two female inmates like they were his equals, genuine concern and interest in their opinions made the girls agree albeit reluctantly.

That's when the rain broke the heavens and finally gave respite on those below.

"That's so good!" Chapman squealed, tipping her face skywards and opening her mouth to catch the drops. Luschek was smiling through the now heavy pouring rain.

However as rain begun in earnest, Nicky's grip on the heavy tools became slick and unstable. She struggled once more, carefully angling the drill up against the huge wall screw when once again; it slipped and tumbled to the ground.

"Fuck!" She cursed, craning her neck round to view Piper below, gripping the ladder whilst trying to flick the constant torrent of rain from her eyes.

The terrifying and sudden rumble from above had all three flinch in surprise. Piper had been watching the clouds build and move overhead in the time it had taken to do the 'last few brackets' and had become more and more concerned of the time it was taking them to fit the rods.

"Er...Luschek, I really think we should call it day." Piper nervously enquired, looking from the dark skies and back to the sunburnt man. Having heard the suggestion, Nicky called out from atop the ladder.

"Say, that sounds fucking great. I'm pretty sure handling copper strips in a storm isn't recommended." She dead panned, already depositing the drill back onto the heavy tool belt and wiping her sleeve across her sunburnt forehead.

"Alright, let's pack up." Nicky jumped from the ladder as soon as the words left his mouth, stumbling slightly on landing, Piper helped steady her. The three began to trudge their way back towards the prison, abandoning the copper strips on the ground for another day, inspection be damned.

"Pathetic. That's what you are; a pathetic waste of space, not even capable of finishing a simple task." Nicky turned swiftly, breaking away from the Chapman and Luschek, staring in horror as a few feet away her birth mother stood, with hands on hips, scowling at her.

"W...what are you doing here?" She stuttered, instantly feeling three feet tall under the gaze of her hateful mother.

"Why can't you do anything right huh? All I wanted was an easy life, a free life, I wanted to travel. But no! No chance, because you just had to come and ruin it all. Didn't you huh?" She accused, stepping closer to Nicky. The confused girl felt tears betray her and prick the corners of her eyes as her mother continued to glare.

"I...I didn't ask to be born Mum." She muttered sadly, stumbling over her words as though she was four years old again and still seeing a speech therapist.

"I...I...pathetic; when push comes to shove Nicole; you can't even speak." Her mother scorned maliciously, shaking her head in contempt as Nicky began to lower herself to the floor, hands clutching the sides of head.

"You're not real. You're not here. You're in Brazil. You're not here." Nicky repeated, shaking her head and rocking ever so slightly. "You're not here, you're not here, you're not here."

A deafening rumble shook the three on the ground and made those inside cheer, as the storm grew ever closer.

"Nicky! Come on!" Piper called from up ahead, shuddering as the rain furiously pelted against her skin.

'Nichols!" Luschek screamed flinching as a bolt from Zeus himself struck a tree mere feet away from the distraught girl on the floor.

But as with most disasters, suddenly it was all too late. A blinding white light filled Nicky's brain and she found herself flying, or falling, she couldn't quite tell.

"Nicky!" The scream ripped harshly from deep within Piper's throat as she began running towards her friend.

With a sickening thud Nicky landed several feet from where she had been, looking up at the black in complete confusion. Her whole body buzzed and tingled like the static from a TV screen. She blinked a few dozen times to clear her eyes but the rain continued to blur her vision.

"Nicky! Are you okay? Oh God, oh God, can we touch her?" Piper babbled, appearing above Nicky, thankfully blocking the rain from assaulting her eyes.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." She managed to rasp, slowly regaining composure of her limbs and managing to sit up with help from Piper, who had decided actually it was okay to touch her.

"Fuck me Nichols! What the fuck, are you okay?" Luschek stammered fearfully, hauling the girl to her feed he hauled.

"I'm fine..." Nicky drawled a tad slowly causing the other two drenched souls to exchange worried looks. Both grabbed an arm each to get her moving. Another fireball lit up the distance, this time thankfully beyond the fence, but it was frightening none the less.

Pushing Nicky ahead of her and through the entrance, ducking in herself a moment later only to collapse against the wall; right next to where Nicky had just dropped, Piper finally felt it was okay to breathe.

"Glad that's fucking over." Piper sighed not caring that she was sitting in a vast growing puddle of ice cold water. Beside her, Nicky rolled her head to the side languidly, staring sardonically for a split second before both burst into laughter.

"What just happened?" Nicky asked after a few minutes of exhausted giggling.

"I think you just escaped death my friend." Luschek announced, bending slowly at the knees and holding Nicky's face to look at her eyes. "You sure you're okay?" He asked, completely unsure if he should be getting the medics or if he should even tell the officials what had just happened.

"I'm fine. I didn't get hit, it was next to me. I felt it. The heat." She mumbled, tilting her face away from Luschek.

"Well, okay then. Just...just don't die in your sleep or something stupid like that. And you know, thank you for today, I know it was hard." He smiled wanly at the two before giving them wonky thumbs up.

"Same time tomorrow?" Piper asked reluctantly.

"'Fraid so. Let's just hope we make it through tonight. By the looks of things the storms just warming up. Things are going to get a lot worse." He added ominously before walking away like a man that was about to drop from exhaustion at any moment.

Piper lolled her head to the side, looking at Nicky thoughtfully.

"What happened out there?" She asked quietly. Nicky shrugged, meeting Chapman's gaze with wide unsure eyes.

"I don't know. I saw...it doesn't matter. It wasn't real." She blinked a few times to clear the sudden stinging in her eyes. Piper noted the action, but didn't say anything. Instead she stood on slightly jelly like legs and extended her hand towards the younger girl.

"Come on."

Within ten minutes of escaping the outside ordeal, Nicky finally fell into the waiting arms of her mother.

"Nicky, Nicky, Nicky..." Red tutted softly "Look at the state of you." She added, running her hands through Nicky's sodden curls then down over her shoulders and onto her arms, rubbing them briskly, noting how her daughter (despite the heat) was shivering slightly.

"Let's get you dried up." Red said, noticing that Nicky had yet said a word, but merely stood there slightly unsteady on her feet, clutching onto Red as though she was the only thing keeping her steady. Maybe she was.

Red, pushing aside the concern twisting her stomach up, gently coaxed Nicky's fingers loose, took her hand and tugging slightly, led the girl towards her bunk. Nicky let her mother lead the way, trudging quietly along beside her. She was so tired. She really didn't care that her hair was wet or that her backside was covered in mud from her little episode outside. Without so much as a warning Red's deft fingers hooked under Nicky's waistband and tugged her soaked trousers and knickers down, she knew Nicky's top was long enough to hide her modesty whilst she turned to get some dry bottoms out for her.

Nicky wobbled, nearly toppling over when Red held out the dry pants for her to step in, pulling them up over her pale legs as swiftly as her slightly stiff back would allow. The fact that Nicky still hadn't said anything was starting to bother Red more than she cared to admit, considering normally she had to tell the talkative girl to be quiet. Getting her changed into dry clothes like this was more of a comfort for her than it was for Nicky. Especially considering Nicky would normally argue against the treatment was she of right mind. This only served to build on the warring concern raging in Red's gut.

Nicky felt her mother push softly against her stomach indicating she wanted her to sit down and so she did; and when Red tapped her arms, without hesitation she lifted them up, letting Red tug her sodden top off in place of a dry one.

Her world was suddenly blanketed in darkness as Red threw a terrycloth towel over her head and began rubbing furiously. Beneath the towel, shrouded in blackness, Nicky happily let her eyes close when it happened.

All of a sudden the walls around those inside shuddered and splintered, like the sounds of a sinking ship; the cracking echoed in canon throughout the prison halls deep into the heart of Litchfield's depths.

Everyone froze.

Nicky pulled the towel of her head only to be pulled against her mother's bosom as the elder froze along with the rest of inmates.

Then the sprinkles burst into life, red lights flashed above every exit and the blaring fire alarm broke through the confused stillness.

"What in fucking Christ is going on!?" Mendez called over the havoc of screaming women and clambering of bodies rushing towards the exit.

"Fire! There's a fire on C wing!" Officer Wanda replied listening to her radio pinned to her shoulder whilst trying to calm the women all at once.

Suzanne had climbed onto one of the cubicle walls and had started muttering incoherent prayers towards the ceiling, whacking her head every other second. Tastee and Poussey were trying to coax her down whilst Sophia rushed to help Sister Ingalls who seemed as though she was about to drop down dead from fright. Doggett and her crack head followers had gathered in a far corner of the room, all on their knees praying, whilst Gloria and Aleida were trying to calm a hyperventilating Diaz and frantic Miritza.

Yoga Jones sprinted across the room, pushing aside inmates and grabbed Officer Wanda's shoulders breathlessly. Officer Wanda spun round, pushing Yoga Jones away, only to be grabbed by an elderly inmate from her other side.

"Sister Ingalls has fainted." Yoga Jones explained desperately, trying to get Wanda's attention who was trying to get the flock of women huddled around her to form a line towards the exit. It was bedlam.

Another agonising crack sounded throughout the halls, eliciting another round of panicked, desperate screams.

Mendez held his gun high above his head and fired. At last everyone fell silent.

"Everyone. Calm. The. Fuck. Down." He demanded loudly, accentuating each individual word loudly, eyeing everyone in the room with grim eyes.

"We're going to calmly and carefully evacuate the building. You all know the protocol; anyone screaming or shoving, I will personally see to it gets another twenty years on their sentence. Now go!" He instructed, beckoning to Officer Wanda to unlock the exit gate and begin the evacuation.

"Come on you two, we got to go." Miss Claudette came to Red's side, looking fretfully at the mother and daughter still clinging to each other. Behind her both Yoga Jones and Boo were taking up equal effort in shifting the unconscious nun. Piper appeared with Alex seconds later, and all together they turned towards the exit.

"Come on Norma!" Nicky called over her shoulder, finally speaking, as Red pushed her forward, never letting her grip loosen on her even momentarily.

One by one the inmates of the dorm left through the gates, Red glanced back just before she too was pushed through the exit. Standing in the middle of the dorm, beneath the flashing red lights and torrent of water, Trisha stood, waving goodbye.

"We need to head up to the top gym hall." Officer Wanda called above the din of panicked inmates.

"The protocol is to go outside..." Mendez barked from a few inmates down the line.

"It's safer inside right now." Wanda shouted back, already directing women to the main stairwell leading upstairs.

Suddenly the walls of Litchfield began trembling again, causing some to lose their footing and others to run off widely in fear. Red's keen eyes looked through the red and rainy light of the warning lights and saw the crumbling concrete and plaster break away from above.

Five seconds was all it took. Five seconds for the ceiling above to collapse on those below, five seconds for Red to react and with momentum which belied her age, push herself and Nicky backwards away from the collapsing debris, five seconds for things to go from bad to much, much worse.

Red and Nicky were now alone whilst all hell erupted around them.

_So sorry it took so long to update, but I hope you enjoyed it. I'm half term now so should be able to finish this! Thank you for all those that have stuck with it. _


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